The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless is the fourth release—not to be confused with the original Nothing Ear (1) Truly Wireless—by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei's follow-up venture, Nothing. These active noise cancelling (ANC) earbuds build upon the foundation of the previous iterations in the brand's stemmed designs with small tweaks to battery life and ceramic drivers. Let's see how these refinements play out when you use the buds.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are good for neutral-sound listening. Their out-of-the-box sound profile is very neutral and conveys a balanced amount of bass, mids, and treble that suits most music genres. If you want to play around with the sound, their app supplies a comprehensive EQ and sound personalization feature set. They also have a consistent frequency response, so you can expect them to sound similar between uses. Their harmonic distortion is slightly elevated in the treble, but it's still not too bad. Due to the closed-back and in-ear design, their passive soundstage doesn't sound immersive or open, which is par for true wireless buds.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are very good for commutes and travel. They feel comfortable to wear with a slightly looser fit that doesn't feel invasive. Their noise isolation performance reduces low-rumbling sounds well, though you might still hear a bit of your neighbors' chitchat. You can connect them to up to two devices using their multi-device pairing, and they have a good selection of Bluetooth codecs. However, if you watch videos, their low latency codecs might not reduce lip-sync lag enough, depending on your OS and apps. The continuous battery life is good enough for shorter flights, though you can use their case for just under four extra recharges. Their IP54 rating for buds and IP55 for the case means you don't need to baby them either.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are great for sports and fitness use. They're comfortable and stable enough for activities like dancing or jogging, though they might come loose if you headbang. Their IP54-rated buds and IP55-rated case mean they'll withstand light water splashes and dusty trails. Meanwhile, you can choose between ANC mode to focus at the gym or Transparency mode for maintaining awareness outdoors. Plus, their battery life is good enough for most people's exercise regimens, and you can easily pocket them in your shorts when you're done.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are decent for using at the office. They won't leak your music and podcasts into the space, and they quiet down office din, though louder coworker voices can still reach your ears a bit. They're comfortable, and you can use multi-device pairing to connect to your phone and PC. Their mic is fine for meetings, too. If you plan to listen for the whole shift, the battery might need a recharge to make it through the workday. Still, their solid build and controls make them a decent choice for your workplace.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless aren't designed for wireless gaming. They're Bluetooth-only, and their 'Low Lag' mode and low-latency codecs don't reduce lag enough to not annoy gamers.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are Bluetooth-only and don't have wired connectivity, so you can't use them for wired gaming.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are satisfactory for phone calls. Their mic handles background noise well enough to prioritize your voice, though your voice can sound thinner than in real life. They also reduce background noise well enough that you can hear the caller. Thanks to their multi-device pairing with two devices, you can also easily switch between devices when a call comes in. Their pinch controls work well, and you can rebind them to your preferences.
The Nothing Ear buds come in 'Black' and 'White' variants, which we expect to perform the same. Our unit is the 'White' colorway. You can check out their label here.
If you encounter another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
This brand's naming convention can be a little confusing. You would think that these buds would be called the Nothing Ear 3 because they succeed the (1) and (2), but they've dropped the numbers altogether. The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless represent more of an iterative update rather than a completely revised product compared to the previous Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless. They look almost the same, and both boast balanced sound profiles with tweakable EQ and personalization. However, the Ear Truly Wireless have the upper hand with a longer battery life and improved noise cancellation.
If you can't get on board with the pinch control design of the Nothing Ear buds, the OnePlus Buds 3 Truly Wireless have more conventional touch and slide controls. That said, the OnePlus have a more excited default sound, no water or dust resistance for their case, and a slightly shorter continuous battery life. Still, they're a bit more stable in your ear than the Nothing buds, and they have similarly capable ANC.
For more ideas, check out the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best wireless earbuds for Android, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are very similar to the Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless with some improvements such as a better battery life. They both fit about the same with almost identical cases, and the Ear Truly Wireless have a more balanced sound profile, but they're similar sounding. Both have plenty of the same app features, such as EQ and multi-device pairing. The Ear Truly Wireless also have slightly better noise isolation. Meanwhile, the Ear (2) Truly Wireless exhibit less weighted harmonic distortion. Still, the Ear Truly Wireless are either the same or better in most regards than the Ear (2) Truly Wireless.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless and Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are both capable stemmed earbud designs. The Apple use touch and slide controls compared to the Nothing's pinch controls. You get Spatial Audio and the H2 chip with the Apple buds but a shorter continuous battery life and fewer app features to customize the sound profile. Their noise isolation is more effective, too. Both the Apple and Nothing have balanced default frequency responses, though the Nothing app provides more control and is available for Android and iOS, unlike the Apple. While both are well-built with IP ratings for the case and buds, the Nothing have a slightly higher rating. If you have iOS devices, the Apple headphones provide a more seamless experience with better ANC but less tweakability and a shorter battery life. However, the Nothing make more sense for Android users because you can use all the features.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless and Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are both stemmed earbuds with very capable apps. The Anker buds use conventional touch controls and boast better noise isolation overall. Out of the box, they're bassier and brighter sounding, and their app has a plethora of EQ presets and a custom eight-band EQ. Their battery lasts longer with more charges in the case, too. The Nothing buds use pinch controls, which are harder to trigger accidentally but are an acquired taste. Both the case and the buds have a higher IP rating against dust and water, and the case isn't as thick. Their sound is more neutral by default, with a more controlled bass and subdued treble, and the EQ has fewer presets but slightly more control.
Choosing between the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless and the OnePlus Buds 3 Truly Wireless is a tight race. The Nothing have a longer continuous battery life and an IP rating for the buds and case, as opposed to just the buds on the OnePlus. Both have capable apps with EQ and support multi-device pairing, though the Nothing support LDAC in addition to the same SBC, AAC, and LHDC codecs on the OnePlus. In common noisy situations, the OnePlus have similar noise isolation performance. Their sound profile is 'V-shaped' with more bass and treble than the Nothing's neutral sound profile, and you can EQ either. For many folks, it can probably come down to experiential preferences, such as whether you prefer pinch controls on the Nothing or touch commands on the OnePlus.
The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are better, more versatile earbuds than the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Truly Wireless. The Nothing have a microphone that does a better job separating your voice from noise around you, along with superior ANC. They also feel better built. That said, if you have a compatible Samsung Galaxy device, the Buds3 might be more useful to you, as you'll be able to use some AI-enhanced features like live voice translation.
You'd be forgiven for confusing the Nothing Ear buds for the previous Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless because they look a lot alike. However, you can tell them apart by spotting the 'Nothing' name printed on the Nothing Ear buds' battery charging case instead of the 'ear (case)' on the last gen. The Nothing Ear buds are stemmed with flat outer housings and white (for left) and red (for right) dots to differentiate the buds. The brand's distinct look comprises a mixture of translucent and matte plastic accents in 'White' or 'Black' colorways.
The Nothing Ear buds feel comfortable. Their oblong-shaped housing snugly fits behind the ear concha, and they don't have a deep in-ear fit. You get four sets of silicone ear tips—also oblong—so they don't apply too much pressure. The downside of their lightweight (and not terribly invasive) fit is that it's easy to shift the earbuds when using their pinch controls on the stems.
They have good controls. They straddle the line between conventional touch controls and physical buttons, as they use pressure-sensitive stems, so you don't tap a surface or actuate a physical button to register a command. Instead, you need to apply pressure to the stem's indent while holding the stem between two fingers as you would to press a button and rely on the bud's audible feedback that it has registered. The upside is that you mitigate accidentally triggering a command the way you can with conventional touchpads. The downside is that it's a bit annoying to do 'pinches' in quick succession. Also, you need to be more intentional when you register a command, and doing so can shift the earbud's positioning in your ear. If you're running and trying to skip a song—two pinches—it's a bit more laborious when you're moving up and down with each stride to get it right.
All that said, their control scheme can be viewed here, and they cover most of what you need for listening modes, playback, and calls. Only the noise cancelling is on/off, which requires you to use the app if you want to adjust its strength—that's pretty normal. Like the last generation model, you need the buds in the case to pair the earbuds.
Their charging case is great. Not much has changed over the Nothing generations—excluding the impractical shape of the Nothing Ear (stick) Truly Wireless tube case, which tends to either fall over with a slight breeze or roll away. Like the previous Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless' case, this one is low and flat and has a clamshell lid with rounded but slightly sharp corners. There's a USB-C charging port and a pairing button beside it, or you can charge the case wirelessly. Inside the case, it's color-coded for quickly putting your buds back by matching the white or red dots to the colors on the buds. Viewable through the lid is a small interior light that indicates status, like charging and pairing, but it's pretty utilitarian. However, while the clear plastic exterior looks good, it can pick up dust or surface scratches, and it feels a bit cheap despite the reassurance of its IP55 rating against dust and water.
Their build quality is impressive. The earbuds are rated IP54, and the charging case has an IP55 rating against dust and water splashes, so you don't need to concern yourself with errant raindrops. Their plastic bud housings feel good, though not premium, and the three pairs of ear tips are a bit thin. While the case's plastic seems a bit cheap, it's compact and light, and the hinge doesn't wobble.
The Nothing Ear buds have good stability. They stay in your ears for walks and moderate upright exercise. Due to their noninvasive fit, they sit a bit looser than designs like the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, which have a deeper in-ear fit. As a result, they can fall out during a trail run or headbanging.
The Nothing Ear buds have a rather neutral-sounding frequency response out of the box. Lows have an even amount of thump and boom and don't overwhelm the natural-sounding mid-range instruments like guitars and keyboards. Vocals come across with good clarity and presence, although they can sound slightly veiled. Overall, this sound profile suits a variety of genres of music without exaggerations to any range. They sound basically the same regardless of whether you use ANC, Transparency, or normal listening mode, but they decrease volume output, cut the highs, and drastically taper off the bass response if you use the mic.
If you want to tinker, the buds have a sound personalization feature and an equalizer in their companion app with a separate 'Ultra Bass' feature. You can set custom EQ settings or use the presets (which you see here), and interestingly, the 'More Bass' preset pumps up the bass more than the 'Ultra Bass' set to maximum.
The frequency response consistency is great. They deliver bass and mids the same between wears and wearers. There's some variation in the treble region, so make sure you've got the correct ear tip size and that the oblong shape sits the same each time.
The bass accuracy is superb. They reproduce lows with pretty balanced amounts of rumble and boom. These aren't the most bass-heavy, so you can augment that in the app's EQ. As is, for songs like In the Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett, the beat of the kick drum and walking bassline come across with the right amount of boom to hold down the rhythm.
The mid-accuracy is incredible. Keyboards, guitars, and lead instruments come through full and balance without honking or clutter.
The treble accuracy is impressive. Harmonics for vocal articulation and sibilance in cymbals are clear and present. The low treble sees some slight under-emphasis that reduces the details of vocal just a touch, while sharpness is dulled a bit in the mid-treble.
These earbuds have remarkable peaks and dips performance. They're very flat through the bass, with only subtle dips and peaks in the mids and low treble. The largest peaks and dips are in the higher registers, causing cymbals to sound relatively sharp and shrill.
Their imaging performance is excellent. The products we've tested by the manufacturer have solid ergonomics and quality control. The group delay is below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble. The narrow peaks in the phase mismatch graph aren't audible in real-world playback and don't affect your experience of the stereo image. Both amplitude and frequency mismatch land within good values, resulting in a stable stereo image. Imaging varies between units, so these results are only valid for our unit.
These earbuds have a bad passive soundstage, which is normal for closed-back, in-ear designs. They don't interact with your outer ear or with the room you're in. As a result, what you hear sounds focused and like it's coming from inside your head rather than spacious and spread around the space you're in.
Their weighted harmonic distortion is satisfactory. Levels are fairly even and low enough that your audio is clear and pure. Although there are peaks in the high-mids and low-treble, even if you have sensitive ears, you probably won't notice any impact on the purity of the audio.
These are the settings used to test these earbuds, except for medium ear tips, which were used for the noise isolation tests. Our results are only valid when using them in this configuration.
Their full-range noise isolation is decent. When set to 'Max' ANC, they effectively reduce low-pitched environmental noise. The combined ANC and isolation are less effective with mid-range noises like ambient din and background talking. When ANC is on, it interferes with how well the isolation performs with very high-pitched external sounds.
You get three manual ANC modes of different strengths, in addition to an Adaptive ANC mode, a Transparency mode, and a normal listening mode. We tested them at the 'Max' setting, but as you can see here when comparing all of the modes, there's not much difference between 'Max' and 'Mid' ANC settings.
The buds' noise isolation performs decently in common scenarios. They work very similarly in different situations, cutting more boomy frequencies than mid-range noise like talking. They aren't quite as effective as the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless overall, but they aren't too different with handling high-pitched noises.
The Nothing Ear buds don't have a dedicated wind reduction mode. As a result, the 'anti-noise' created by the noise cancelling system and the wind interacting with external mics gets fed back into your ears and varies in loudness, depending on the angle of the wind. The buds handle wind noise best with the ANC at 'Max,' and as expected, if you decrease the ANC strength, they handle wind noise worse. It's worth noting that the Adaptive ANC mode handles noise worse than ANC manually set to 'Low.' You can also see how the other ANC modes handle wind.
Their leakage performance is great. Treble leaks the loudest, with mids and bass leaking at quieter volumes, producing a bright and thin version of your audio. It won't bother those around you unless you're in a very quiet space.
The mic system's recording quality is mediocre. It emphasizes the high-mids and treble ranges and strongly scoops lower frequencies, resulting in clear but harsh-sounding speech that lacks body. Your speech remains comprehensible. The AI-integrated mic system produces an inaudible artifact above most people's hearing range, which is additionally amplified by our testing rig.
Their mic's noise handling is good. The 'Clear AI' noise filter suppresses constant background noise well, though it can slightly hurt the intelligibility of your words by cutting out too much. In the presence of sudden noise, it successfully prioritizes your voice, and you're not drowned out by the racket in the background. The only downside is that the noise filtering can leave your voice sounding unnatural.
The Nothing Ear buds' battery performance is alright. Reaching 7.5 hours with ANC on, they're an improvement over the last generation, Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless' continuous battery life of 5.6 hours. The figure also differs from the advertised battery life with ANC, so your experience may vary depending on use and volume levels. The case stores just under four extra charges. A 10-minute fast recharge tops up the case's battery by 10 hours (according to the manufacturer), so you'll be able to stay connected.
Unfortunately, they don't have an auto-off timer, so you'll need to place them in the case to ensure they don't die from idling loose on a desk. To conserve the battery life somewhat if you don't use the case, you can use the in-ear detection function available in their app and disable ANC, so they enter a standby mode when you remove them. But, considering that it's easier to forget to disable ANC than to put earbuds away for most people, it's a workaround that might not work for you.
The Nothing Ear buds' app support is good. They use the NothingX app (viewable here) to handle control remapping, ANC strength and transparency modes, codec selection, a fit test, and in-ear detection. The app gives you nuanced control over the sound profile by utilizing a sound personalization hearing test and a comprehensive EQ. The equalizer is user-friendly because you can choose the 'Simple' version, a three-band EQ labeled 'bass,' 'mid,' and 'treble' with a graphic interface and presets. For the tinkerer, there's the 'Advanced' EQ, with eight bands; you can shift each band's frequency range and adjust the Q-factor, which are uncommon features. Otherwise, you can toggle Low Lag Mode and switch between two paired devices. If you misplace the earbuds, they have a Find My Earbuds function, but don't test it out if you're wearing them because they'll emit a loud sound. Lastly, you can set up the app to work with the AI system, ChatGPT, so the mics pick up your voice commands and queries and send them to ChatGPT for a response.
The Nothing Ear buds have amazing Bluetooth connectivity. They support multi-device pairing with two devices. You can also choose Bluetooth codecs specific to your needs: LDAC, LHDC, AAC, and SBC. LDAC and the less common LHDC can provide high-quality audio. Meanwhile, AAC is optimal for iOS users, and SBC is the more basic option. On the downside, while the companion app has a 'Low Lag Mode,' which reduces SBC latency significantly, it's still too high to remedy lip-sync issues, and without the mode enabled, it's worse—closer to the LDAC's high latency measurement. Latency is fine if you're listening to music (and often expected with high-quality codecs like LDAC), but the lag isn't low enough to avoid disruptive lip-sync mismatches while streaming videos. While latency varies depending on many factors, including connection strength, operating systems, and whether you're using an app that compensates or not, all of the codecs tested were pretty high in latency. However, we don't have a test instrument for LHDC, which is supposed to be a low-latency codec. Your experience with a different configuration could yield other results, though.
These Bluetooth-only earbuds can connect to your Bluetooth-compatible PC for full audio and mic support.